It's hard to be optimistic about taking medicines to keep doctors from breaking drug prices

Drug price reform has always been the focus of social concern. Recently, Peng Sen, member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and the vice chairman of the Financial and Economic Committee, said in an interview with the media that drug prices are expected to be released. This is the first time that the authoritative department has released its price of drugs. However, there are different voices within the pharmaceutical industry for this matter.

An analyst in the pharmaceutical industry said in an interview with this newspaper that the marketization of drug price reform is good for patented drugs, innovative drugs, and exclusive products, but it depends on how the policy is implemented. After all, medicines circulate from the enterprise to the hands of patients and they need to Experience multiple levels.

However, some people believe that the release of drug prices is not optimistic. A pharmaceutical industry observer said in an interview that the release of drug prices looks good, but there are many obstacles to implementation, and the policy may take a long time to land.

Drug prices let go

According to media reports, the National Price Bureau meeting held on October 27 decided that the prices of medicines will all be liberalized in the future. Drug prices are expected to usher in marketization. According to reports, according to the drug release process, plans to release blood products, nationally-purchased medicines and contraceptives, and a class of mental and anesthetic drugs by the end of this year. After approval by the State Council, the medical insurance catalog was released from January 2015. Drug prices.

"This may become the starting point for the release of administrative control of drug prices." The above-mentioned pharmaceutical industry analysts said in an interview with this newspaper that this will benefit companies in related fields.

In recent years, the cost of raw materials for production, packaging materials, energy and power, and human resources has continued to rise. Especially for Chinese herbal medicines, the price of many varieties has risen several times, which has brought considerable pressure on the company's costs. The price increase seems to have become a pharmaceutical company. The unanimous appeal. An executive from a blood product company said in an interview with this newspaper that at present, the company’s product prices are determined by the National Development and Reform Commission, and the company’s product demand is also very strong. "If the price is released in the future, the company certainly hopes that based on sufficient demand in the market, the higher the price, the better, and the profit will also increase."

It is understood that blood products just need a clear market, if the price is released, blood product prices may change. However, another company executive in the same blood product industry said that although the policy is constantly blowing, it remains to be seen how the policy will be implemented.

Unlucky to open prices

Despite many expectations of the outside world, another analyst from the pharmaceutical industry, who declined to be named, told reporters that it is difficult to implement in the short term. “This is a process of replacing the old system with a new one, rather than a policy fix. Supplements cannot be implemented before January 2015."

In addition, the above-mentioned observers also stated that the price of drugs in the current health insurance list is difficult to release. On the one hand, due to legal restrictions, on the other hand, drug prices need to go through many links before they can finally be formed. It is difficult for drug companies to become autonomous. Pricing.

It is understood that the current price formation of medicines in the medical insurance list requires multi-sectoral coordination: the NDRC and the provincial-level pricing department set the maximum retail price, the provincial-level tendering department invites tenders to form the actual supplier price, and the company's medicines enter the hospital for cost-plus sales, and the medical insurance Medicare levels are reimbursed separately. In some areas, there is a case where the hospital is bargaining twice.

“If companies are asking for prices, they will be opposed by tendering agencies, distribution companies, and hospitals.” The above observers said that “hospitals play an important role in the formation of drug prices, and have not broken away from the use of drugs to provide medical care”. The release of drug prices is also difficult to do. Even if the prices of drugs in medical insurance are liberalized, bargaining power is too low for those who want to enter hospitals for sale, and their impact on performance will not be too great."

According to an industry source, the prices of domestic medicines were not regulated before, and the medicines produced by enterprises were mixed. However, the prices of some companies with poor product quality were extremely high. In order to achieve the sales target, a high rebate was given to doctors, resulting in bad money expelling currency.

"Drug price policy may appear to be fine-tuned. The release of drug prices may start in some drug fields," said the observer.

On October 22 this year, Jiangxi Province has taken the lead in announcing the relaxation of the government's regulation of drug prices and releasing all 601 over-the-counter drugs under provincial administration. Enterprises can completely set their own prices.

The above observers said in an interview that the price of non-prescription medicines is expected to be liberalized. “This is a relatively fiercely competitive market with little impact on price liberalization. However, it has a major test of the company’s brand and marketing.”